Wikijunior talk:Big Cats/Fossil History

Definitive timescales are in doubt and dispute. Further it is not relevant to learning process for the audience intended in this subject. Unsubstantiated conjecture should not be part of the learning process.


 * Excuse me, but can you be specific about what you think is in dispute? If you can provide scientific references contradicting anything here then it will certainly be taken into consideration.  &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 21:08, 5 December 2005 (UTC)


 * Time scales are not unsubstantiated. Actual bone is left from many pleistocene mammals and that bone can be dated precisely with Carbon 14.  Older materials are dated using stratigraphic analysis.  The more precise way to categorize these fossil cats is to use "faunas" rather than periods.  The entire Earth did not change abruptly at the end of worldwide periods, rather it changed in individual fauna groups which do not neatly line up with periods.  Matter of factly, I used to be a taxonomist back in the way backs.  It is truly amazing what can be done using well-tested and carefully conducted techniques. John Burkitt 20:16, 6 December 2005 (UTC)


 * Yes, but I get the feeling that our friend here doesn't understand this. &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 02:17, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Carnivorous/Carnivore distinction
It is worth remembering that although meat-eating is a characteristic of all Carnivora (even the giant panda eats meat if it gets the chance), not all meat-eating mammals (insectivores, cetaceans, and great apes) are members of this order. I have tinkered with the introduction to exclude such creatures as shrews, chimpanzees, dolphins, and whales as Carnivora even if they are adept hunters. It's also worth remembering that many of the Carnivora are not cats even if they have some very cat-like (especially Big Cat) behavior. Who hasn't seen cat-like behavior and physique among dogs? ∼∼∼∼

Illustrations
I really like the idea of this as part of the Big Cats book. Unfortunately we're scant on illustrations. I added the cave lion painting, but the only other thing we have pictures of are saber-toothed tigers at Smilodon (couldn't find any usable flickr museum pictures). I rather like Image:Smilodon californicus.jpg, but if skeletons are judged inappropriate  Image:Smilodon.jpg could work. &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 21:06, 5 December 2005 (UTC)


 * Laura, I have attempted to solve this problem, including providing one of my own pieces of art...Proailurus...and several photos. John Burkitt 15:21, 8 December 2005 (UTC)


 * Nice illustration. So far as Egyptian cats we've also got  Image:Egypte louvre 058.jpg.  &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 15:55, 8 December 2005 (UTC)